LITTLE BIT OF STARDUST

Little Bit of Stardust, or “Little Bit,” was born at Redwings in October 2000. He is a chestnut pinto miniature horse. His parents, Bambi and Magic, came to Redwings in May 2000, when their owner could no longer care for them due to a disabling injury.

Miniature horses were originally bred as pets for the European rich. However, when the fad of “minis” as pets had passed, the tiny horses came to be used in coal-mine work instead. Once a mini was lowered into a mine, it almost never returned to the surface but rather spent its life pulling coal carts in the darkness. This work helped minis to develop the sturdy build and hard hooves that are characteristic of the breed today.

Today, minis have once again become popular as pets and show animals. In order to obtain the perfect horse, overbreeding often occurs, resulting instead in birth defects such as dwarfism. As is so often the case with horses that are deemed “un-showable,” these foals are often euthanized.

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REDWINGS WEBCAM

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